Eowyn

Recommended music: Trapt – Headstrong

For this #TolkienThursday, let’s check out one of the few female figures in the ToyBiz Lord of the Rings collection. Today’s spotlight from The Two Towers is the headstrong Éowyn, Shield Maiden of Rohan!

In The Two Towers book, Éowyn reluctantly obeys the King’s orders to lead the people of Edoras to shelter in the White Mountains, far from the Hornburg, while Aragorn, Théoden, and the other men face Saruman’s army in the Battle of Helm’s Deep. In Peter Jackson’s 2002 film adaptation, Éowyn is at Helm’s Deep just long enough to lead those not chosen to fight into the Glittering Caves below. Here, she serves as a symbol of hope, representing the Rohirrim’s endurance and comforting the vulnerable, even as her own heart longs for the battlefield. Aragorn trusts her to lead the refugees because she has a “fearless spirit.” The frustration she feels at being sidelined fuels her eventual defiance, culminating in the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

Originally, Éowyn was going to play a larger role at Helm’s Deep in the film, but an entire sequence did not make the final cut. Seen briefly in a trailer shot and behind-the-scenes documentaries, Éowyn was set to deliver a baby born to Morwen and then defend the Glittering Caves from Uruk-hai, even decapitating one. I’m fine with all this being cut, as it makes Éowyn’s arc in Return of the King better.

While this Éowyn Shield Maiden of Rohan figure also states “with Sword-Slashing Action,” it is a new sculpt from the figure included in the first carded wave of The Two Towers figures. This new Éowyn was one of the five final selections for the Epic Trilogy wave at the end of the ToyBiz line. Like the earlier release, it has some paint flaws. The purple in the other figure is now bright blue, even though it is meant to be the same costume piece. Unfortunately, her head can’t really look up, as it just has a swivel neck and a button on her back for an action feature that pushes into her sculpted hair.

Like the other Éowyn figure, it does not closely resemble Australian actress Miranda Otto, but you can tell it is Éowyn. The figure is sculpted well and holds her sword, but the included scabbard neither attaches to the figure nor fits well in her hand. In the end, I’m glad ToyBiz took another shot at Eowyn, even if the colors are wrong and some of her outfits never made it into action figure form.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography